Bearings for dryer seals, fire retardant high temperature dryer seals and related methods

Abstract

Bearings for fire retardant dryer seals, fire retardant dryer seals, and related methods are provided herein. A fire retardant dryer seal can include an elongate, flexible base substrate having a first end and a second end. The base substrate can also have a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface. A fire retardant dryer seal can include a bearing having a first end and a second end with the bearing including a needlepunched nonwoven having a reinforced scrim and fibers with silicon therein. The first end and the second end of the base substrate secured to the first end and the second end of the bearing so that the bearing and the base substrate forms an annular shape. A heat resistant coating can be disposed on at least the first surface of the base substrate.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A fire retardant dryer seal comprising:
 at least one outer base substrate having a first end and a second end, the at least one outer base substrate forming an outer surface of the dryer seal for contacting with portions of a dryer; 
 at least one interior base substrate having a first surface and an opposing second surface, the at least one interior base substrate secured to the at least one outer base substrate; 
 a bearing having a first end and a second end, the bearing comprising a needlepunched nonwoven comprising a reinforced scrim and silicon (Si)-containing fibers; 
 the first end of the at least one outer base substrate secured to the first end of the bearing and the second end of the at least one outer base substrate secured to the second end of the bearing so that the bearing and the at least one outer base substrate form an annular shape; and 
 a heat resistant coating disposed on at least one of the first surface or second surface of the at least one interior base substrate, the heat resistant coating comprising particles of an inorganic mineral material dispersed within a binder. 
 
     
     
       2. The fire retardant dryer seal as in  claim 1 , wherein the bearing further comprises at least one of wool fibers, PET fibers, or binder fibers that are blended together with the silicon-containing fibers and the reinforced scrim that comprises a glass reinforced plastic (“GRP”) scrim therein to provide a thermally stable, structurally stable bearing material. 
     
     
       3. The fire retardant dryer seal as in  claim 1 , wherein the heat resistant coating is disposed on both the first and second surfaces of the at least one interior base substrate. 
     
     
       4. The fire retardant dryer seal as in  claim 3 , wherein the at least one interior base substrate is folded to form multiple layers of the heat resistant coating. 
     
     
       5. The fire retardant dryer seal as in  claim 3 , wherein the at least one interior base substrate is folded to form six layers of the heat resistant coating. 
     
     
       6. The fire retardant dryer seal as in  claim 3 , wherein the at least one interior base substrate comprises multiple interior base substrates that reside within a pocket of the at least one outer base substrate to form multiple layers of the heat resistant coating. 
     
     
       7. The fire retardant dryer seal according to  claim 1 , wherein the particles have an average thickness of less than about 50 nm, and wherein the particles have a larger dimension of about 0.5 μm to about 50 μm. 
     
     
       8. The fire retardant dryer seal according to  claim 1 , wherein the film-forming binder comprises at least one intumescent substance. 
     
     
       9. A fire retardant dryer seal comprising:
 an elongate, flexible first base substrate having a first end and a second end, the first base substrate comprising a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface; 
 a bearing having a first end and a second end, the bearing comprising a needlepunched nonwoven comprising a reinforced scrim and silicon (Si)-containing fibers; and 
 the first end of the first substrate secured to the first end of the bearing and the second end of the first substrate secured to the second end of the bearing so that the bearing and the first substrate form an annular shape. 
 
     
     
       10. The fire retardant dryer seal as in  claim 9 , further comprising a heat resistant coating disposed on the first surface of the first base substrate. 
     
     
       11. The fire retardant dryer seal as in  claim 10 , wherein the bearing further comprises at least one of wool fibers, PET fibers, or binder fibers that are blended together with the silicon-containing fibers and the reinforced scrim that comprises a glass reinforced plastic (“GRP”) scrim therein to provide a thermally stable, structurally stable bearing material. 
     
     
       12. The fire retardant dryer seal according to  claim 9 , wherein the bearing further comprises at least one of wool fibers, PET fibers, and binder fibers that are blended together with the silicon-containing fibers and the reinforced scrim that comprises a glass reinforced plastic (“GRP”) scrim therein to provide a thermally stable, structurally stable bearing material. 
     
     
       13. The fire retardant dryer seal according to  claim 10 , wherein the heat resistant coating comprises particles of an inorganic mineral dispersed within a film-forming binder. 
     
     
       14. The fire retardant dryer seal according to  claim 13 , wherein the inorganic material comprises at least one of vermiculite, mica, clay materials, or calcium carbonate. 
     
     
       15. The fire retardant dryer seal according to  claim 13 , wherein the particles have an average thickness of less than about 50 nm, and wherein the particles have a largest dimension of about 0.5 μm to about 50 μm. 
     
     
       16. The fire retardant dryer seal according to  claim 10 , wherein the heat resistant coating comprises at least one intumescent substance. 
     
     
       17. The fire retardant dryer seal according to  claim 10 , wherein the first base substrate is folded and the first surface on which the heat resistant coating is disposed comprises an interior portion of the folded first substrate. 
     
     
       18. The fire retardant dryer seal according to  claim 10 , further comprising a second base substrate secured to the first base substrate, the second base substrate forming an outer surface of the dryer seal for contacting a portion of a dryer. 
     
     
       19. The fire retardant dryer seal according to  claim 18 , wherein the first and second surfaces of the first base substrate have a heat resistant coating thereon. 
     
     
       20. A bearing for a fire retardant dryer seal, the bearing comprising a needlepunched nonwoven comprising a reinforced scrim and silicon (Si)-containing fibers comprising a silicon or silicon compound, the bearing having a first end and a second end. 
     
     
       21. The bearing for the fire retardant dryer seal as in  claim 20 , wherein the bearing further comprises at least one of wool fibers, PET fibers, or binder fibers that are blended together with the silicon-containing fibers and the reinforced scrim that comprises a glass reinforced plastic (“GRP”) scrim therein to provide a thermally stable, structurally stable bearing material. 
     
     
       22. The bearing for the fire retardant dryer seal according to  claim 20 , wherein the bearing further comprises wool fibers, PET fibers, and binder fibers that are blended together with the silicon-containing fibers and the reinforced scrim that comprises a glass reinforced plastic (“GRP”) scrim therein to provide a thermally stable, structurally stable bearing material. 
     
     
       23. A method of making a fire retardant dryer seal, the method comprising:
 providing an elongate, flexible first base substrate having a first end and a second end, the first base substrate comprising a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface; 
 providing a bearing having a first end and a second end, the bearing comprising a needlepunched nonwoven comprising a reinforced scrim and silicon (Si)-containing fibers; 
 securing the first end of the first substrate to the first end of the bearing; and 
 securing the second end of the first substrate secured to the second end of the bearing so that the bearing and the first substrate form an annular shape.